Holiday diet strategies for the spring season

Healthy ideas and recipes for breakfast

What is the secret to a better breakfast?

By Elaine Magee, MPH, RDWebMD Weight Loss Clinic – Expert Column

It's better for your health (and your weight) to have breakfast than to skip it. And it's definitely better to eat a healthy breakfast, rich in fibers and nutrients, than one full of refined grains, sugar, salt and / or saturated fats. But, what happens if you do not have healthy ideas for breakfast?

One quick tip that I use to keep my breakfast balanced is to "strive to achieve five." That means I try to include at least 5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein in each breakfast.

Many people are wrong to eat a breakfast consisting mainly of refined carbohydrates with very little fiber and protein, such as a roll of refined flour, a muffin made with sugar and white flour, or a sugary cereal with a low fiber content. Balancing carbohydrates (preferably whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) with a little protein and a little more healthy fat will do a better job of avoiding hunger until lunch and feeding all morning activities.

To help you get there, here are some tips to make sure your breakfast is balanced, as well as some quick and healthy breakfast ideas and recipes.

A healthy breakfast has at least 5 grams of protein

Low-fat or fat-free dairy products can add protein to your breakfast, just like egg whites or egg substitute (egg yolk does not contribute to the protein); lean meats for breakfast such as Canadian bacon, extra lean ham, turkey bacon or light turkey sausage; and soy milk and other soy products. Here is the amount of protein you get from some typical breakfast foods:

Protein sources for breakfast

Protein (Sun)

Calories

Grease (Sun)

Saturated Fat (g)

Carbohydrates (Sun)

Skim milk, 1 cup

10

100

14

Low-fat vanilla yogurt, 1 cup

9.3

253

4.6

2.6

42

Low-fat cottage cheese, 1 cup

28

160

two

one

6

Low-fat cheese, 1 oz

8

70

4

2.5

one

Egg whites, 2

7

33

one

Egg substitute, 1/4 cup

6

30

one

Soy milk, low fat, 1 cup

4

90

1.5

14

Soy-based sausage, 2 oz

12

119

4.5

0.7

6

Tofu, ultra firm lite, 2 oz.

5

43

1.4

2.2

Canadian bacon, 2 oz

12

89

3.9

1.2

one

Extra lean ham, 2 ounces

eleven

61

1.5

0.4

0.4

Turkey Bacon, 2 Strips

4

70

6

two

<1

Light turkey sausage, 2 oz

9

130

10

2.2

one

Peanut butter, natural, 1 tablespoon

3.5

100

8

one

3.5

Light cream cheese, 1 oz

3

53

4

2.7

1.8

Lox (smoked salmon), 1 oz

5.2

33

1.2

0.2

A healthy breakfast has at least 5 grams of fiber

One way to get to those 5 grams of fiber is to include a whole grain and / or fruit or vegetable in your breakfast. Breakfast is the perfect time to work with a portion or two of whole grains, which along with fiber also offer many vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that promote health.

Get your grains at breakfast with one of these:

Hot oatmeal (or other hot whole grain cereal). Cold whole cereal. 100% whole wheat bread, small muffin, English muffin or omelette Pancakes and waffles made with at least half of wholemeal flour (you can also add oatmeal, oat bran or ground flax seeds to increase nutrition). Muffins and cinnamon rolls made with at least half of whole wheat flour (you can also add oats, oat bran or ground flaxseed).

Weekend breakfast tip: Make waffles, pancakes, or whole grain muffins over the weekend and freeze them in individual plastic bags for a quick breakfast. On weekday mornings, simply remove them from the freezer in the microwave or toaster / toaster.

Here is the amount of fiber you get from some typical breakfast foods:

Protein sources for breakfast

Fiber (Sun)

Calories

Carbohydrates (Sun)

Grease (Sun)

Protein (Sun)

Grain

Oatmeal, cooked, 3/4 cup

3

124

twenty-one

2.7

4.5

Whole grains, 1 cup (like raisins)

7

190

Four. Five

1.5

5

100% integral bread, 1

two

70

14

one

3

Whole wheat bagel (95 g)

9

260

52

1.5

eleven

Whole wheat tortilla (114 g)

8

300

54

4.5

12

Whole flour, 1/4 cup

4

110

2. 3

0.5

4

Oatmeal, rolled, quick, 1/4 cup

2.3

83

14

1.5

3

Barley, med., Cooked, 1/2 cup

5

220

55

0.7

5

Pearl barley, cooked, 1/2 cup

3

97

22

0.3

two

Buckwheat groats, cooked, 1/2 cup

2.3

77

17

0.5

2.8

Quinoa, cooked, 1/2 cup

2.6

111

twenty

1.8

4

Fruit:

Banana, 1

3.1

105

27

0.4

1.3

Cranberries, fresh, 1/2 cup

two

42

eleven

0.2

0.6

Raspberries, fresh, 1/2 cup

4

32

7

0.4

0.7

Dried fruits, mixed, 1/4 cup

two

120

28

one

Melon, 2 cups (melon or melon)

3

108

26

0.3

3

Vegetables:

Mushrooms, cooked, 1/2 cup

two

22

4

0.4

two

Onions, cooked, 1/2 cup

two

29

7

0.1

one

Zucchini, cooked, 1 cup

2.2

26

5

0.2

two

Tomatoes, 1 med.

one

25

5

one

Walnut seeds:

Ground flaxseed, 2 tablespoons

3

80

4

6

3

Pecans (or other chopped nuts), 1/4 cup

3

205

4

twenty-one

3

11 examples of balanced breakfast

So, how do you incorporate these healthy foods into your breakfast when you run out the door one Monday morning? Try these 11 quick and healthy breakfast ideas:

5. Two slices of toasted French bread made with wholemeal bread and one egg (use a higher omega-3 type if possible) mixed with 1/4 cup of non-fat and medium or low-fat milk, 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon. (278 calories, 42 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 14 grams of protein, 6.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 215 mg of cholesterol, 480 mg of sodium).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cover two non-stick baking trays with canola spray or baking spray. In a large bowl, combine pancake syrup, brown sugar (if desired), peanut butter, vanilla extract, egg and egg substitute (or white) and beat over medium heat until smooth . In a medium bowl, combine the wholemeal flour, white flour, baking soda and salt with a whisk. Pour into a bowl with the peanut butter mixture, beat at low speed until mixed. Add the oatmeal and dried fruits (if desired) and the oatmeal cereal toasted by hand with a spatula or spoon. Drop 1/4 cup of biscuit dough per cookie into prepared baking sheets (6-7 per baking sheet); Flatten cookie mounds approximately 3/4 inches thick with a spatula. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned on the edges. Allow to cool on a baking sheet or wire rack. Store in sandwich bags at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside. Place the strawberries in a small food processor; Process until mashed. Make sure you have 2/3 cup of puree. In a small bowl, combine 2/3 cup of strawberry puree with low-fat milk, vanilla extract, strawberry extract and red coloring (if desired); set aside. In a bowl of an electric mixer equipped with the palette attachment, margarine cream and medium-high speed sugar until combined and fluffy. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the egg and the egg substitute or the egg white, beating until they are mixed. Scrape the side and bottom of the container well in half. With the mixer turned off, in a medium bowl, mix the flours, baking powder and salt; then add half of the flour mixture to the mixing bowl with the margarine mixture, whisking until mixed. Pour the mixture of strawberries and beat to LOW until they are mixed, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula in half. Add the remaining flour mixture, whisking until mixed and scraping the sides of the bowl. Add 1/4 cup muffin batter to each prepared muffin cup. Bake until the lids are dry to the touch (about 22 minutes). Allow to cool completely in tin before sprinkling with powdered sugar, if desired.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper (or cover it with canola oil). In a large bowl, combine the flours, salt and baking powder at low speed while stirring. Add honey and margarine or butter; Beat on low heat until they crumble. Add buttermilk and simmer until the dough forms. Sprinkle the flat surface with a few tablespoons of unbleached white flour. Press the cookie dough until you get a square of 8 or 9 inches (about 1 inch thick). Cut the dough with a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter and place the cookies in a prepared baking sheet. Unroll the remains only once. Bake until golden brown (about 18 minutes).